P&G to Make It Harder for Kids to Eat Tempting Tide Pods

by Angela Nazworth | May 29, 2012 9:37 am

[1]Since the beginning of this year, nearly 250 children have ingested detergent pods, including those from Tide[2]. That’s why Procter & Gamble (NYSE:PG[3]), maker of the laundry detergent, is repackaging the brightly colored, small packets of laundry detergent to deter kids from eating them. P&G will now package the product in a container with a double-latched lid.

No deaths have been reported in these cases of kids eating detergent, and most incidents took place in March. The most extreme case involved a toddler in suburban Philadelphia who had to be put on a ventilator for a day and hospitalized for a week after he climbed onto a dresser and ate a packet of detergent, The Associated Press reported.

According to Dr. Michael Buehler of the Carolinas Poison Center, Tide’s new container may prevent kids from eating the detergent.

“In a nutshell, yes, it would be good, but I don’t know enough,” Buehler told the AP. “It’s too early to tell.”

The bottom line is that P&G is doing what it can to keep kids out of the laundry soap, but it’s up to parents to act responsibly.

“The most important point is that laundry packs, ­ and there are many on the market today, ­ are like any household cleaning product. They are safe for their intended use but they need to be kept out of the reach of children,” a Procter & Gamble spokesperson said via email.

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly implied that Tide packets were the only detergent involved in these incidents.